Re: [DML] What Tires to get??

[Martin Gutkowski <webmaster@xxxx>]

On 5 Aug 02 Kayo Ong wrote a good dissertation on tyres having tried out 
all the major brands available. I agree wholeheartedly that the Pirellis 
are an excellent choice so I'm copying his post here. Since he wrote it, 
a couple of points have come up: The Michelin Pilots feel a lot like the 
Pirellis and (at least in Europe) the P600 has been superceeded by the 
P6000 on the front. The new P6000 are V rated, and the P600s are still 
available on the back and are W rated.

Martin

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I had P600 in the front and in the rear for over a year, before I put on 
"two" sets of Yokohomas AVS on my DeLorean. Yes, I had two sets of Yokos AVS 
on my DeLorean in the last three years. The Yokos' threads don't last long. 
They are great riding tires ... but they don't last long.

It was four years ago in the month of May 1998, when I needed new tires to 
attend Ken Koncelik's first DeLorean Show held at Cincinnati, Ohio in 1998. 
I wanted to replace my Dunlops that I had for little over a year and I wasn't 
happy with the ride nor its handling abilities, besides the Dunlops I had, 
they had very little threads left and I also need tires right away as to 
attend the show. 

I wanted a set of Yokohama's AVS and they were not available, not even form 
the US Yoko Distributor that I called and they claim it was on the freight 
boat from Japan and due to arrive in mid July of that year. The Tire Rack 
and many other tire distributors did not stock any tires of the same 
manufacture for the front and rear sizes. Either they have the fronts or the 
rears. There were no tires at all to be found, from any tire distributors to 
fit the DeLorean. So, I desperately did some research and found that the 
Pirelli P600s were available for the fronts and the rears from a very large 
tire center some 10 miles from me. The P600s had different speed rating, but 
that is okay for my usage, beside they were cosmetically all the same. I had 
ordered them by phone and had them mounted on my DeLorean immediately when 
they arrived. After driving the P600s a year and a half, I had replaced them 
with Yokohama's AVS that were available from PJ Grady. There was nothing 
wrong with the P600s that was on my DeLorean, I was just curious as to the 
ride of the Yokos which everyone was "raving" about on the DML News. I 
wanted to experience this "rave" for myself. 

The Yokohama's AVS have the same high speed rating for the front and rear ... 
the P600s are not...only the rear are high speed rated and the fronts have a 
lower speed rating. Folks, don't worry, unless you have a different motor 
than the standard PVR, your DeLorean will NEVER exceed the lower rating of 
the P600s. The Yokohama's AVS looks rounder-"fat," while the P600s are 
"squarer" looking and its "visual" flows well with the contour of the 
DeLorean ... IMO. P600s and the Yokos are both good tires. I personally 
like the looks of the Pirellis P600s and the ride is slightly different then 
the Yokohama's AVS. The Yokos ride is softer, slightly quieter and holds the 
road "just" a bit better in the rain. The P600s is great on dry roads and 
slight better in the snow, from two to three inches ... the Yokos are NOT 
good in snow at all... not even in 1/2" of snow. 

I have driven many long road trips, at times for over 18 hours per run on 
both of these brands of tires and the conclusion is that they both have 
different qualities that I can live with... The P600 makes the DeLorean run 
and handle like a sport car, harder stiffer ... the Yokos yields a nice 
"rich-luxurious" ride (Cadillac ride). The Yokos and PJ Grady's shocks are a 
great combination ... given the DeLorean a great ride! BUT, on my next set 
of tires... I will fit them with P600s again. I like them just a lit bit 
better ... for that sports car "feel" and especially for the winter 
(emergency) snow travel. I don't like slipping in the thinnest of snow.

Again... to each their own...... I hope this helps.

Kayo Ong
#5508
Lic 9D NY